Traffic warning device



March 15, 1932. COPPEL TRAFFIC WARNING DEVICE Filed Oct. 14, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Jun yd ATTORN EYS March 15, 1932. P L 1,849,419

TRAFFI C WARNING DEVI CE Filed 0013. 14, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORLEON/7P0 h. (op/ 11 ATTORNEYS Fatented Mar. 15, 193;?

LONARD H. COPPEL, LOS ANGELES, CAELIFORNIA, ASSIGNDR, BY MESNE ASSIGN-E'IENTS, T0 COPALITE REFLECTING SIGNAL CUMPANY, L'llfl, QB LOS ANGELES,CALI- ZEORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC WARNING DEVICEApplication filed October 14, 1929. Serial No. 399,572.

My invention relates'to and has for its purpose the provision of awarning device adapted to be installed at intersections and junctions ofstreets and highways, and by which light rays emanating from the headthetrafiic button shown in Fi lights of vehicles approaching anintersection on diflerent streets meetingat the latter andobscured fromeach other by buildings or other obstructions, will be reflected in suchmanner as to be rendered visible to the driver of the other vehicle, andthus serve as a warning to the driver of each vehicle of the presence ofthe other vehicle before the latter is actually in view at theintersection, thereby enabling the respective drivers-to take theprecautions necessary to avoid a collision.

It is a further purpose of my invention to provide a traflic warningdevice of the above described character which is preferably, althoughnot necessarily, incorporated in a traflic button of the character whichis permanently installed on the surfaces of street and highwayintersections for indicating to the drivers of vehicles entering andleaving an intersection, the proper paths of travel to be followed bythe respective vehicles in order to avoid confusion at the intersectionwith the resulting possibility of a collision taking lace.

I will describe only one from of traflic warning device embodying myinvention and will then point out the novel features thereof in theclaim.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 isa diagrammatic plan view'of a street intersection with atrafiic button embodying my invention installed therein.

' Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of gure 1.

' Figure 3 is a view of the traflic button in side elevation.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the' trafiic button taken onthe line of Figinvention in its present embodiment is shown 1incorporated in a traffic button T which as illustrated is usuallycircular in plan with its base 10 flat so as to rest uniformly on theuse at an intersection wherein two streets.

form the latter and are at right angles to each other, and to this endthe button is provided with a square chamber 12 opening to the base 10and formed by the top wall 13 and vertical side walls 14 each of whichis provided with a pair of substantially square openings 15communicating with recesses. 16 terminating at the peripheral edge ofthe button. Medially between each pair of openings 15 a radiallydisposed vertical partition 17 rises from the base 10 and merges intothe. top wall 13, the partition conforming to the rounded contour of thebutton and functioning to prevent relatively narrow tires of vehiclewheels from becoming jammed in the recesses.

Spanning each pair of openings 15 in the a chamber 12 are lighttransmitting panels 18 of uncolored glass or other suitable transparentmaterial; and vertically disposed in the chamber are light reflectors 19in the form of mirrors preferably colored red.

The reflectors 19 in the present instance are in right angular relationand are positioned relatively to the openings 15 so that light raysentering the chamber through the openings of any one pair will bereflected at a right angle in opposed directions from the chamberthrough one openingpf those pairs on opposed sides of. the chamber.

The open bottom of the chamber is closed by a cover plate 20 seating ina recess 21 (Figure 5) so as tmbe flush with the under surface of thebase 1(). The plate is secured to the button by screws 22; andinterposed between the plate and bottom edges of the pan els 18 andreflectors 19 as well as between the top wall 13 and the top edges ofthe panels and reflectors are sheets 23 and 24 respectively, of suitablecushioning and-packing material such as felt. The plate 20 co-operatewith the sheets 23 and 24 to exclude all, dust and moisture from thechamber 12 so as to prevent the etficiency of the reflectors 19 frombecoming impaired; and the cover plate co-acts with the top wall 13 ofthe button to securely clamp the panels 18 and reflectors 19 againstdisplacement.

The operation of the device is as follows Let it be assumed that thebutton is installed at the center of an intersection of two streets Aand B at right angles to each other as shown in Figure 1. Light raysfrom the headlights of a vehicle C approaching the intersection from theleft on the street A will enter the chamber 12 through the openings 15 Iof one pair and will be reflected by two of 2 7 reached theintersection.

D and E, so as to be rendered visible to the drivers of vehicles on thestreet B approaching the intersection from either direction, thuswarning the drivers of the presence of the vehicle C before the latterhas actually Likewise, light rays emanating from a 'vehicle Fapproaching the intersection from the street B will be reflected by twoof the reflectors 19 in opposed directions parallel to and through thestreet A as indicated at G and H so as to be rendered visible to thedrivers of 1 vehicles on the street A aproaching the inter- "sectionfrom each direction, thus warning the drivers of the presence of thevehicle F so that the driver of each'vehicle approaching theintersection will be, warned. of the presence of the other vehicle orvehicles before the latter has reached the intersection, therebyenabling the respective drivers vto take the precautions necessary toavoid a collision.

' sign boards, or other obstructions, that the drivers of all vehiclesapproaching the intersection will be warned in advance of the presenceof theothers so that the possibility of collisions at night or onoccasions when the visibility is low will be reduced to a minimum.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of trafiic,warning de-. v1ce embodymg my invention, it is to be 1m- 'derstood thatvarious'changes and. modifications may be made therein without departmgfrom the spirit of the invention and the Spirlli and scope of theappended claim.

panels 18 and cover the first side. the reflectors 19 in opposeddirections parallel 1 to and through the street B as indicated at1,s49,41e I A trafic button having a chamber therein, the side walls ofwhich are provided with openings, and the bottom of which is open, acover plate closing the bottom of the chamber, light transmitting panelsin the chamber, spanning the openings and clamped between the coverplate and the top of the chamber by the cover plate to exclude foreignmatter from the chamber, and a plurality of light reflectors in thechamber, clamped between the cover plate andtop of the chamber by thecover plate and relatively positioned to each other and to the openings,to each reflect light rays entering the chamber through an opening onone side of the latter, from the cham- 1 her through an opening on aside of the chamber angularly disposed with respect to LEONARD H.COPPEL.

